You’re dealing with foot odor–yours or someone in your family–and you need to know what home remedies you can use to eliminate this problem. Your feet are enclosed in footwear all day long, and they sweat. When the perspiration mixes with the bacteria on the skin of your feet, an objectionable odor results. The feet have more sweat glands than any other part of the body, so they sweat more. Because the sweat can’t evaporate, foot odor develops.
Good Foot Hygiene
Wash your feet every day with lukewarm water and a deodorant soap. Wash in between your toes and dry your feet completely, especially in between your toes, according to the ePodiatry website.
Foot Powder
After washing your feet and completely drying them, sprinkle your feet with a foot powder. Before doing so, make sure all moisture has been wiped away so the powder doesn’t clump up in between your toes.
Find a foot powder that helps deodorize your feet. You can also sprinkle foot powder into your shoes.
Natural Fiber Socks
Avoid socks made of synthetic fabrics. Instead, buy socks made of wool or cotton, which help your feet to breathe and stay dry, according to the ePodiatry website. When you choose your socks at the store, make sure they’re thick so they absorb the moisture your feet give off.
Make sure you put on a fresh pair of socks at least once a day, especially if your feet sweat a lot.
Alternate Shoes on Different Days
Don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day. Make sure you wear a different pair of shoes so that the shoes you wore yesterday can dry out, according to the ePodiatry website.
When you buy new shoes, make sure they’re made of canvas, leather, mesh or some other material that allows your feet to breathe and stay cool and dry. Avoid plastic and nylon shoes, according to the ePodiatry website.
Alum Foot Soak
Visit the spices section of your supermarket and pick up some alum. Mix 1 to 2 tsp. into 1 or 2 gallons of water, then soak your feet for a half-hour. After the half-hour has elapsed, rinse your feet with clean water. Repeat this process in four days, then once a month, according to the Health911 website.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar to a small pan of warm water, then soak your feet three to four times a week in this solution so you can control your foot odor, according to the Health911 website.
Antiperspirant
Spray an antiperspirant on the bottoms of your feet. This should help prevent your feet from becoming sweaty, which should stop the foot odor, according to the Health911 website.
Be cautious of using this remedy if your feet are cracked. The antiperspirant can irritate the cracked skin.
Baking Soda
Sprinkle baking soda from the box into your shoes. It helps to control the odor and absorb moisture from your feet.
Tea
Boil 1 qt. of water and add five tea bags. Allow the tea to steep. Once it has steeped, allow the water to cool down and soak your feet in the tea. The tannin in the water acts as an astringent, preventing your feet from sweating, according to the Health911 website.
Zinc
Take an oral zinc supplement or increase your intake of foods high in zinc. If you take a multivitamin, make sure it contains at least 15 mg of zinc, which reduces your foot odor in less than two weeks, according to the Health911 website.
Increase your daily intake to 100 mg if the odor returns, but don’t take over 15 mg for more than two weeks at the most. Zinc can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb copper.
